Alison Lloyd Residency

Nicola Hill20 May 2015 09:59

Visual Artist Alison Lloyd joined Dance4 in residency for two weeks at the beginning of May ahead of her walking performance 'A Long Dance and A Short Walk' in June. Alison talked to us about the work she’s currently researching.

After attending college in the 1970s, Alison went on to work for art galleries and museums comissioning public art and developed visual arts across the East Midlands. Next, she was creating a PHD at Loughborough Univeristy in Women Artists and Walking Practise. We're thrilled to have had Alison in the Dance4 studio and here's what she chatted to us about.

What brought you to the Dance4 studio?

During my time at college in the 1970s much of my work was based around dance as I studied ballet until the age of 18 before studying contemporary dance, so I therefore created work that I knew about - things from my history and for me that was dance. For my first piece of work I used a pair of ballet shoes and created a series of photographs.

Every morning I walk into the Dance4 studio and see the sign ‘Dance Studio’ and it's almost like when I walk through this door, everything is about movement and how I move. I've become physically aware of my own physicality and I'm embodying a certain experience in this space.

What have you been up to in the studio during your residency?

I met Sara Wookey (dancer and choreographer) on a walking conference, which I led in 2013, and we spoke about movement, stepping and paths. Following on from this, I asked her to join me for one day during my residency at Dance4. She saw the photos I’d taken as a form of choreography as I was creating shape and movement. She found herself investigating walking terms whilst I was investigating dance terms.

I’ve been videoing, walking, taking photos walking etc. On the walks I lead, I begin by talking about my practise and usually bring images from previous walks, especially city walks to bring a full rounded idea of the walks I undertake.

Definitely walking and not dancing. I’ve been using various maps in the studio ranging from: Derbyshire, Dartmoor, Glen Co, Isle of Skye, Harborne etc. My time here has provided me with two weeks of thinking time. Without this residency I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with Sara and generate ideas through discovery and playing around with certain ideas.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be visiting Dartmoor soon to walk and then planning the walk for A Long Dance and A Short Walk at Nottingham Lakeside Arts in June. Eventually I hope to make my own ballet. During an exhibition at Primary Gallery, I met an artist who inspired me, as he’d created his own untraditional opera. So I hope to create my own untraditional ballet and collaborate with other artists on this project.